Expand your creativity

TANGO ARRANGING COURSE

"I recommend this course to everyone who loves this wonderful genre and wants to deepen their musical knowledge."
Helena Rüegg
Switzerland

During the last few years, we have been teaching online Tango Arranging to musicians who requested our writing services before. Now they can write their own arrangements in a professional level. Due to the success of this lessons, we decided to offer the same course to everyone who wants to write original arrangements.

Get the tools

Tangoideas wants to provide you with tools to develop your creativity through the writing of arrangements. That is why this course is thought and designed step by step with the aim of delving into each of the musical aspects in the art of arranging, from solo instruments to large ensembles.

The techniques learned will be useful for both classical and contemporary styles.

Become a solid arranger

By the end of the course, you will be able to:

  • Reharmonize original compositions
  • Apply proven arranging concepts in all the major tango styles
  • Write rhythmic and melodic variations
  • Analyze the role of each section of the Typical Orchestra
  • Orchestrate for any tipe of ensemble
  • Understand how harmony works into a composition
  • Analyze the work of the greatest Tango arrangers
  • Understand the main aspects of Milonga and Vals
  • Identify the characteristic functions of the rhythm section through marking models
  • Understand the language of the vanguard in Tango (Piazzolla and Salgán)
  • Write complete, original arrangements for any type of ensemble in any style.

Examples and Analysis from real Scores

Choose what you want to learn

We know that every musician has different levels of knowledge, so we decided to offer this course in modules. Although we recommend taking the full course to have a better understanding, if you are only interested in a part, you can customize it by selecting the modules you want, at a different price. 

The course in detail

2 teachers

The course is taught by both teachers, who complement each other while providing the contents

8 Modules

We have divided the contents into 8 Modules or Units, covering all the main elements and techniques that you need to write arrangements

Live Chats for each module

2-hours via Zoom with the teachers (16 hours of Live Chats). It can be individual or shared with other musicians or members of a same project

Assignments

Each module has an assignment where you will put in practice the concepts. Both teachers will review them and give a detailed feedback

2 Languages

We offer the course both in English and Spanish

Access to online content trhough our learning platform

Once you apply to the Tango Arranging course you have access to our learning platform, where you will be able to review all the content seen during the classes. Also you will be able to receive updates, submit your assignments and make questions to your teachers.

Requeriments

In order to take advantage of this course, you need to read and write music and understand chords, scales and modes. Although we will work on reharmonization, this is not a Harmony course. Knowledge of digital notation software such as Sibelius is recommended, but not required. You will also need a good internet connection and webcam for Live Chats. 

Opinions from our students

"We started the TANGO IDEAS online course in tango arrangement in march 2021 and we still enjoy every minute of the course. Although we already had some experience with arranging, Matias and Gustavo really brought us to a much higher level. Every lesson has a subject to be learned like melody, harmonization, phrasing, marcato etc. The lessons are two hours each and are full of music examples of the different orchestras and musicians. Every lesson is in very good balance and we always have a lot of fun. It’s really two hours of music talk and laughter. And after every lesson we get the material and our homework assignments. We can truly say that we listen to tango in a totally different way. We hear things we never heard before and we use them in our arrangements and playing. We highly recommend this course to everyone who wants to learn to arrange Argentinian tango. It’s simply the best course in the word, given by two very experienced arrangers, musicians and good teachers."
Rob Bangert
Netherlands
"30 years ago I discovered the bandoneon in Buenos Aires, which has changed my entire life. Since then I have dedicated myself to the studies of the bandoneon and the Tango genre. I have studied a lot in Argentina with the great masters, at the Avellaneda School of Popular Music and in the tango department of the Rotterdam Codarts Conservatory. I have learned a lot with all these teachers. But since we started our arrangement classes with Gustavo and Matías at the beginning of March 2021, all the parts of my knowledge are being completed and forming a whole image. The method that Matias and Gustavo have developed is very clear and very detailed. It feels like they've put a lot of thought into it to condense all the information into simple words and steps that can be easily understood as a great meal recipe. I finally dare to start making my own arrangements, a task that until this course seemed impossible to me. In addition to the information that they transmit to us, Matias and Gustavo are doing it with such joy and passion for Tango and all the great composers and arrangers who have developed this genre that it is a pleasure to listen to them. And at the end of each class I'm glad to meet them again for a next lesson hoping that this musical path shared by our same passion never ends to learn more and more. I recommend this course to everyone who loves this wonderful genre and wants to deepen their musical knowledge."
Helena Rüegg
Switzerland

Table of contents

  • The creative process
  • Standards – Our starting point
  • Melody and phrasing
  • Reharmonization
  • Inversions
  • Secondary dominants
  • II relative
  • Pedal point
  • Assignment
  • Form analysis
  • Form diagrams
  • Marking models – The rhythm in accompaniment
  • Marcato
  • Syncopation
  • Pesante
  • 3-3-2
  • Polyrhythm
  • “Umpa-umpa”
  • Bordoneo
  • Half notes
  • Choral
  • Marking models chart
  • Assignment
  • Bassline design in Tango
  • Link phrases: Avoiding rests
  • Types of link phrases
  • Melodic
  • Harmonic
  • Rhythmic
  • Basslines
  • Combined
  • Examples from recordings
  • Assignment
  • Melody harmonization: Going for a bigger sound
  • Parallel 3rds and/or 6ths
  • Contrary motion (counterpoint)
  • Harmonization in blocks
  • Secondary melody (countermelody)
  • Creating layers with countermelodies
  • Types of secondary melodies
  • Rhythmic and melodic variations
  • Variations during solo/soli
  • Assignment
  • Milonga and Vals
  • Types of milonga (Campera and Ciudadana)
  • Patterns of accompaniment
  • Bassline design
  • The melody
  • Marking models
  • Bordoneo in Milonga
  • Endings
  • Link phrases
  • Assignment
  • Orchestration part 1
  • The Strings section
  • Block reharmonization
  • Unison
  • The role of the cello
  • Divisi
  • Bandoneons section
  • Blocks reharmonization
  • Unison
  • The rhythmic-harmonic section (Piano + Double bass)
  • Tutti/Soli
  • Resources fo solos
  • Assignment
  • Orchestration part 2
  • Combining sections
  • Working with 2 and 3 Layers
  • Examples and analysis from scores
  • Extended techniques for each instrument
  • Assignment
  • The renewing movement
  • The language of Horacio Salgán
  • The language of Astor Piazzolla
  • Rhythm, harmony and melody
  • Score analysis
  • Assignment

Fill in the contact form to receive all the detailed information about the course.